


The Inspector and the Educator

by piattos



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Canon who?, Conversations, Established Relationship, Friendship/Love, Gen, M/M, Male Friendship, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Possible Romance, Rare Pairings, Smoking, also references to other characters, can you guess who?, the one talking to player, the teacher we saw in the season 4 trailer, yes i made stuff up, yes we're going there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:14:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28711053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/piattos/pseuds/piattos
Summary: Sometimes, one needs to have someone to talk to in general. Far from home, Chase has an exchange of words with an unlikely friend in the ninth wonder of the world.
Relationships: Chase Devineaux & Mr. Humphrey
Comments: 10
Kudos: 18





	The Inspector and the Educator

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since I've written Chase and something general at the same time. People may ask, "how are you supposed to write fanfiction of a character whose episode we have yet to watch?" The answer is: you don't. But when you do, you just make stuff up. You pull them out of thin air. You sit on your butt for hours and WING IT! If you really really love that character enough, you are inclined to making such follies. It do be like that sometimes.

Chase Devineaux waited inconspicuously outside of some school in the city of Niagara Falls. By the time each and every student had already made their egress from the building, the teachers were just about to go home themselves. Chase spotted that one person he had been waiting for. He had brown hair, wore glasses, and was dressed in a plain but eye catching mustard yellow dress shirt.

"Hey! Monsieur Humphrey!" hollered Chase at the sight of him, waving a hand in the air.

The other man, having heard him, smiled and waved back, "Hello, Devineaux!"

Mr. Humphrey walked up to Chase, pulling him in a friendly hug where they patted each other's backs.

"I see your car's in one piece. Must be a miracle," remarked the teacher.

"Hehe, you are funny," said Chase, sarcastically. "I still wouldn't take _your_ job, though."

Mr. Humphrey rolled his eyes and smirked. "Let's just get a move on. Those kids have been driving me to the brink all day..."

"Aww, you have to give lectures and tests and then get to lounge in an office, making idle chat with your co-workers you do not care about? _Quelle horreur_ , life must be _so_ hard," said Chase feigning concern.

"Now who's being funny?" said Mr. Humphrey slightly offended.

"Oh, never mind." Chase opened the door to his vehicle. "Just get in the car. I'm driving us to the hotel I'm staying in. You can grade your papers while we're at it."

Mr. Humphrey shook his head. "As considerate as ever."

So the two drove down the road. Mr. Humphrey was planning to grade some homework in the car, but not wanting to give the haughty Frenchman the satisfaction, he hesitated. Especially since it was only a six minute drive to where he was staying, as always.

"If you don't mind, could you make a little detour to the falls?" he said tapping on Chase's shoulder.

"You must be joking!" he exclaimed in response at the preposterous suggestion. "That's five more minutes of driving with usual traffic! Whatever do you need to go there for?"

"To relax," he responded. "Like I said, it was a stressful day. Especially with this one kid who keeps wanting to be referred to by his... screen name or whatever you call it."

"As long as he did not try to kill you, I'm sure you can handle it."

"He doesn't like going out much during recess."

"Let me guess, he is always on his phone..."

"Computer."

"Same difference."

"He does get access to the internet either way, so you're not wrong there."

"Heh. Technology."

There was a pause in the conversation before Mr. Humphrey spoke to Chase again. "You never told me about your new job. Last I heard, you're not with Interpol anymore. Are you sure you're still an agent?"

"I've said it before and I'll say it again; my affiliations are classified and I've already said too much by telling you that."

"You have become very secretive as of late."

"It's for the best. It's also not giving me a break, but all the more to get that rush."

"You better not have taken any bad habits during that time."

"I have only had one, which I've stopped. Mostly."

Mr. Humphrey took a whiff of the air. "I've noticed."

"I was waiting for two hours. Things get boring real quick."

"Whatever you say."

After an uneventful traffic, Chase brought the car to a crawl in front of a large building, aiming to find a parking spot.

"Hey, I said take me to the falls," said Mr. Humphrey in protest.

"I booked a very nice room in this place. Very spacious, great view, and air conditioned. You can put your feet up and relax there."

"I don't want to be cramped inside a cold, stuffy room. That's pretty much my whole week. My whole job, even!"

"Then turn on the furnace!"

"S'il te plaît, mon chum... Pour moi?" Mr. Humphrey pleaded with his hands laced together.

Chase was convinced but he winced at the saccharine display. "We will go if you cease speaking with that terrible accent!"

"I've told you, I learned French in Montreal."

"Even worse!"

Chase hit the pedal with great force that jolted them both as the car drove off in full speed again, earning a glare from the teacher.

Another uneventful drive later, although less uneventful than the last, they have nearly reached their destination. Chase would only consider it as such once he found a good parking spot somewhere.

"Well, that is eight minutes of my life that I'm never getting back," grumbled Chase.

"There was a sharp turn and you were driving like a maniac," exclaimed Mr. Humphrey. "In front of a cop, no less. _You_ were a cop, you should know better!"

"Correction, I am a _field agent_. Which is why I had to put him in his place when he dared raise his voice at me."

"Well, I hope that ticket you got was worth it." Mr. Humphrey huffed and crossed his arms.

"Give me some credit, at least we are still in one piece. That is your concern."

"Why does it always go back to your driving skills?"

"How should I know? You were the one who brought it up fifteen minutes ago."

"Ugh! You are impossible!"

Suddenly, Chase's mind went elsewhere, bringing their argument to a full stop when a he got a faraway look in his eye.

Mr. Humphrey was confused at the silence coming from the usually hotheaded man. "What's with the face? I didn't hurt your feelings, did I?" he asked.

"Non, non..." he replied. "What you said just kind of reminded me of someone. Heh heh. I wonder how she is doing now?"

"'She'?" he echoed with a slight twinge.

"Just my junior at work before she, uh, decided to change paths. She's a good kid. She is uh, how you say, the scholarly type. Kind of like you, but more eager to bombard me with 'dull facts.' And yet, I sort of miss it."

Mr. Humphrey rarely saw his friend become nostalgic like that. Quite odd yet at the same time humanizing. In an effort to comfort him, he said, "You know this particular fall was the site of the very first successful trip over Niagara falls, she was a 63-year old schoolteacher. Is that fact 'dull' enough for you?"

"That is actually the most spectacular thing I've ever heard, what are you talking about?"

Mr. Humphrey chuckled. "Forget it."

After parking the car, Chase and Mr. Humphrey could finally walk up to the falls and take in the sight of the grand body of water rushing down beneath their feet. At least one of them was.

"I thought tourist season would stop by now. Why are there still people here?" he whined.

"It's a public place, why do you think?" he chided.

"How are you supposed to relax with this many people when we could have had privacy back in our hotel room? Which by the way, cost me an arm and a leg."

"I don't care about the people." Mr. Humphrey walked to the fence where a cloud of mist was forming just right beside it. "When I listen to that sound, all my cares just sort of disappear. Like these water particles as soon as they cease to be liquid."

"That is the least poetic way to describe a waterfall ever. I am French, I should know."

"There's waterfalls in France?"

"I meant poetry, you egghead."

"I've heard the words that come out of your mouth. Trust me, none of them are even worthy as nursery rhymes."

"Well, like fine art, I _am_ an acquired taste."

Mr. Humphrey scoffed. "You are too arrogant for your own good, I swear."

"It is a gift and a curse," he said as he shrugged.

Having no choice but to watch the falls, Chase joined Mr. Humphrey beside the fence. He had to admit, there was something quite calming about the loud rumbling sound of a large body of water cascading from a very steep cliff, like a kind of loud silence. Though the words don't make sense, nor in their current situation because the water was very loud. Still, it was easy to get lost in one's thoughts from just watching the great white foam forming at the very bottom when he looked down.

He looked to his friend and it seemed to have the same effect on Mr. Humphrey, except he was looking forward. That is what he could tell so far since the mists have obscured his lenses. Could he even see out of them, he wondered. What did the other man think? He lived a rather mundane life that Chase himself would not dare wish for himself. Was he content with it? Did he have higher aims and he just happen to be chained back by reality or did he really choose the path he walked? He turned and looked back down again.

Mr. Humphrey could see the sun peeking out from behind the clouds. It was not a very strong light and with his foggy vision, he could safely look directly at it. He was fortunate to be able to live in a city while at the same time be so close to an unfiltered view of nature...sort of. There _was_ a fence in front of them so that they wouldn't fall. Hasn't stopped daredevils from attempting though. Not everyone was lucky to emerge unscathed.

With that in mind, he looked at Chase who was looking down. It baffled him what was so interesting down there when the falls were right there in the horizon. Mr. Humphrey looked down and he only saw fog, which his lenses did not need any more of. The figure of Chase Devineaux became blurry right then. The man was a mystery, making him more perplexed in years. Reading him was a challenge, and he loved to read. Then again, reading other people was never easy. Even though the man wasn't exactly the stoic type and typically wore his emotions on his sleeve, there was something about him that was just as ambivalent as ever. The way he carried himself nowadays was almost sophisticated in a rough kind of way. Never had he met such an interesting person.

And then he saw him fishing for a cigarette and lighter from his coat.

"Devineaux! Must you?"

The voice nearly made him drop everything when he jumped. "Mon Dieu! I almost forgot you are here."

"Isn't being here relaxing enough?"

"For you, maybe. For me, I have my ways."

Mr. Humphrey shot him a judgmental glance as he crossed his arms.

"Why are you giving me that look. You are not so innocent either, if my memory serves."

"Well... it's been a while. And the smoke is a bit bothersome."

"Hah! I do not believe that for a second, coming from someone who did this for many years." Chase took one long drag and huffed into the mist. "And besides, I thought these so-called water particles would cleanse the air anyway, so you would not even smell a thing."

"What do you mean 'so-called'? They _are_ water particles."

"Listen, you told me this day has been stressful, yes? Well, I have a stressful life. So as long as I know my limits, I allow myself to dip into this one vice every now and then. You are smart so I'm sure you can do the same, no?"

Chase took out another cigarette from his coat and offered it to the teacher.

"You do not even have to finish it. Just take one drag and flick it into the water."

"I'm not doing that." Mr. Humphrey swiped the cigarette from Chase's fingers. "Nature is our friend. Pollution is bad."

Chase scratched the back of his head nervously. "Haha, I believe that too..." he said, bringing the cigarette back to his lips.

"Only because you should." Mr. Humphrey put the tobacco in his lips only to realize that he had no lighting source with him. Taking it out, he asked: "Could you point your lips towards me for just a sec?"

Chase's eyes widened and his face turned red. "Hm?"

With the cigarette on his lips, Mr. Humphrey brought the unlit tip to the glowing ember and ash on Chase's end to get a spark going, A few huffs later, it was finally lit.

"That tasted better when I was younger."

"Did you not once tell me that taste buds become dull with age? I thought that was depressing."

"It wasn't a dull fact?"

"You said it was a 'fun fact' when you told me. But it was not."

"Mon chum, so dramatic," remarked Mr. Humphrey, playfully punching him on the shoulder.

"Don't say that," said Chase, brandishing a pained grin.

"What do you have against Quebecois anyway?" he asked.

"Nothing, really. I was just making a joke," he explained. "But I did have an unpleasant experience with one from way back."

"Oh? Do tell?"

"Well, I was tasked with helping this fellow officer in this country's capital. I was not informed that he would be some _ganache_ from a Quebecois village, though the fact that he managed to rise to the position he now held was impressive. Long story short, some things did _not_ go according to plan, we were brought to the mercy of the superior, and the man had an accent so strong and so informal that I barely understood what he explained to him. For all I know, he could have pinned the whole thing on me."

Mr. Humphrey nearly spitting the tobacco from his lips when he sputtered from holding back his laugh. "So what's the problem then?"

"I hold no ill will against his people. if that's what you are getting from this," Chase took one long drag from his lips and huffed from his nose. "But I hope wherever that man is and he momentarily chokes on a bean from his favorite fèves au lard, he will be thinking of me."

Mr. Humphrey was both confused and terrified. But mostly confused. "For Pete's sake, Devineaux. What even is this life you live?"

"Eh. I have lived through worse."

The two returned to look at the falls, smoking the minutes away to just think. Life? Career? The direction where both they were going? Just thinking in general.

Chase looked to his side. "Monsieur Humphrey."

The other man turned. "What?"

"It is cold here. Come closer."

Mr. Humphrey walked sideways towards him, his hands holding on to the rail. With one arm, he was pulled close, making him gulp and he felt instantly warm.

"You are too slow," he said. Then after a few seconds, he added: "You are right. This is relaxing."

The two men continued to look at the water, allowing themselves to be sprayed by the cold mist in their proximity. Mr. Humphrey felt something touch his cheek. Chase felt something brush against his lips. It was hard to see, but they've never felt calmer after that.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey [you](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Breemarie12256/)! I actually did it, LMAO
> 
> When someone says on discord, and I quote, "DONT MAKE ME WANNA WRITE THIS," I don't take that as a challenge, but I'm not backing down either. Them's fighting words! (but don't worry, there's no actual fight. If you see this, I love you lol)


End file.
